SEGA president Shuji Utsumi has acknowledged that the company’s latest Sonic title did not meet internal expectations, revealing that he had hoped Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would sell significantly better.
His comments came during a recent interview with Famitsu, where he discussed Sonic’s importance to SEGA and the company’s plans to strengthen future releases.
Sonic remains the face of SEGA
During the interview, Utsumi described Sonic the Hedgehog as the company’s defining brand, explaining that the franchise’s success often benefits SEGA as a whole.
“Sonic kind of exists as a symbol for SEGA. If Sonic is doing well, then I think the whole company will do well too.”
He also credited the success of the Sonic movie series for creating new opportunities across SEGA’s business, saying those achievements have helped the company promote other intellectual properties beyond Sonic.
Reflecting on the previous fiscal year, Utsumi admitted SEGA failed to achieve its objective of expanding Sonic’s global presence. He also expressed disappointment with the commercial performance of its newest Sonic game.
“The new Sonic game was well made, and honestly I had wanted it to sell more.”
Although Utsumi did not mention the game by name, the remarks are widely believed to refer to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which previously fell short of SEGA’s sales expectations. The company is now focusing on giving each release “more selling power” through stronger marketing and long-term support.
Despite the slower-than-expected sales, SEGA continues to invest in the racer. The company recently announced a second wave of downloadable content featuring crossovers with Godzilla and Evangelion, alongside additional content planned for future updates.
